The England fullback was the beneficiary of a fired-up start to the second half against France at Twickenham and showed good strength to force his way over for what proved to be a crucial score. The try capped a lively display and saw him overshadow Saints team-mate Chris Ashton for once.

England's stand-in skipper continues to excel despite the added responsibility of the captaincy. Spearheaded his side's impressive physicality in a keenly-contested midfield and proved adept at breaking the gainline.

Justified his deployment in the Scottish midfield with another lively display against Ireland at Murrayfield. Racked up the metres with ball in hand and was a almost constant threat on the gainline but lacked support when it mattered most.

The Welsh speedster was unable to celebrate his 34th birthday with a try against Italy in Rome but was a key link man and used his pace and reputation to carve opportunities for others, having a hand in his side's second try.

The veteran Irish fly-half delivered a vintage display to help see off Scotland at Murrayfield and remind anyone daring to write him off that he remains a world-class stand-off. A kicking masterclass was supplemented with a crucial second-half try.

The Leinster scrum-half stepped up to fill the void left by the injured Tomas O'Leary and duly helped his side capitalise on the good ball secured by Ireland's forwards. Grabbed one try and helped set up another to further his claims to the No.9 shirt on a permanent basis.

The England hooker rose to the physical challenge of a formidable French pack and ensured his side never looked like buckling under the pressure. His industry in the loose is also a major plus for Martin Johnson's Grand Slam-chasing side.

Castro was back to his power-packed best as part of a revitalised Italian performance against Wales in Rome. Aside from his exemplary work at the scrum, he was a threat with ball in hand and far from tackle shy too.

Often over-looked by those dishing out praise to an in-form England, Deacon was a match for his Man of the Match-winning second-row partner. A towering presence in the pivotal battleground that was the lineout, he also helped cut France's adventure down at source.

The England lock continued his recent rich vein of form to impress on his way to the
Man of the Match honour at Twickenham. His lung-busting effort included a crucial charge down that led to a try for team-mate Foden.

Two defence-splitting breaks were the highlights of another eye-catching display from the Irish blindside. The Leinster man tore into the Scottish ranks and helped secure much of the ball that allowed fly-half O'Gara to dictate proceedings.

The increasingly-assured Welsh openside notched the first try of his international career against Italy in Rome thanks to an excellent supporting run and the adventure of Shane Williams, Lee Byrne and James Hook. Also managed to leave his mark at the lineout and on the tackle count.

The Italian talisman's consistency is astounding. The ever-influential No.8 was at the heart of everything good about his side's resurgence against Wales in Rome but somehow saw scrum-half Fabio Semenzato pip him to the Man of the Match honour.